Erdogan and Putin – history reloaded

Coup attempt in Turkey – Erdogan cleans up. The strong man from the Bosporus seizes the opportunity that history offers him. Europe is calling for human rights, but rather lukewarmly. The country is too important for Western interests, not least German interests. The refugee issue and the country’s strategic importance as an interface between the trouble spots of the Middle East and Europe dictate political restraint. This has a long tradition, as the other three military coups (which were successful) during the Cold War were also not met with any fuss. Nevertheless, the world is sometimes more or less admonishing countries to remain democratic and protect human rights. This is a new tradition, as the Cold War is considered to have been overcome. Now we can finally speak up. Reality sets limits to this. And the Western public wonders why. Everything was so great before and now Erdogan is giving it all up?

A different understanding

Different cultures, different history. In Germany, we have learned that democracy leads to prosperity and peace. That’s great. If you look at history before the Second World War, you could even argue that prosperity is a prerequisite for democracy. Moreover, national pride was thoroughly exorcized from us after the horrors of the Second World War. But Germany became a functioning democracy that rewarded those who ensured prosperity. Turkey was not one of the losers of the Second World War, but despite democracy it remained a poor country. It had actually started out as an autocracy after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. Kemal Atatürk was the powerful man in the country and knew exactly how he could remain so. Even after the Second World War, the situation remained constantly under threat (see military coups). Then there was the conflict with the Kurds. There is no question that the Turks had and still have great national pride. There is also an aspect that has a completely different threshold value in Germany: Losing face. If you add national pride, a certain autocratic tradition and a religious tendency, you get the basic recipe for the ruling AKP and Erdogan.

Prosperity is not everything for everyone

In the course of the reforms of Erdogan’s predecessors, Turkey has developed very well economically without being considered a rich country. Growth was there and the currency and inflation were stable and under control. However, growth was mainly driven by foreign investment, for which Turkey, as a stable democracy, was an attractive place. Economy rewards stability. Erdogan is now calling this into question with his latest moves. There is even a threat of investments being withdrawn from Turkey. There can only be two reasons for this: Erdogan is unaware of this development or he is deliberately ignoring it. A lot can be said about Erdogan, but certainly not that he is a fool. From his point of view, he is behaving absolutely rationally, because what matters to him is ultimately to maintain and expand his power base. And that is at home, not in Europe. In return, he exposes himself to criticism from abroad and the possible negative economic consequences. That is worth it to him. For the average German, this is an incomprehensible process that causes irritation. It should be noted here that in autocratic regimes, there is always the risk of suffering dramatic disadvantages if you lose power. After all, there have already been rumors of corruption surrounding Erdogan. He reacted in the tried and tested manner by silencing the critics. It is quite possible that he could get into serious trouble if he is voted out of office.

There is a current role model – Putin

Erdogan is a skillful demagogue who uses his opportunities. This includes controlling the media and press. Someone has already shown him how to do this: Vladimir Putin. But this is not where the similarities end. Both Erdogan and Putin are rumored to have enriched themselves thanks to their position. They are surrounded by loyal oligarchs who control the economy. And when things get tight on the domestic front, they throw themselves into combat with external enemies according to age-old diplomatic custom. Both are fighting the opposition with restrictions. And both are obviously doomed to hold on to power in order to survive, in keeping with the tradition of strongmen, which is so strong in both Turkey and Russia. Both can count on the support of the majority of the population, as they embody national strength in a cleverly staged media image. Both are not really interested in the opinion of foreign countries, it is merely part of their respective political calculations. It is therefore not surprising that the ice age between Ankara and Moscow emerged after a Russian military plane was shot down. Those who lose friends in the West simply look for others. And Russia and Turkey are a perfect match, especially as economic relations between the two countries have traditionally been very good. You can also throw pilots in prison for this, who until recently thought they were safe because they had certainly followed their orders. What cannot be, must not be. If necessary, collateral damage is accepted and the story is rewritten a little. A nice parallel here too.

Not easy, but not easy to give up either

It remains to be seen whether the horror stories that are initially painted on the wall will actually materialize. The fact is that Turkey may face serious economic problems. Just as Russia already has due to its confrontation with the West. Nevertheless, business will continue to be done in and with both countries. However, those who are confused about what is happening should take a serious look at the respective mentalities. Business logic, as learned at university, does not always work to understand and succeed. With intercultural training and coaching in Turkey , you put yourself in a position to adapt adequately to the situation and master it better. This also applies to intercultural training and coaching in Russia. The run to the East has stopped for the time being. However, this does not mean that these markets can simply be neglected. You are only well advised to deal with them more intensively in order to be successful. Global Cultures has been successfully contributing to this for years. And who knows, perhaps they will find even more parallels between the countries that are only separated by the Black Sea.